


Taming the Darkness

by alexxriott



Category: Charley Davidson Series - Darynda Jones
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Charley Davidson series, Darynda Jones, F/M, First Grave series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 07:51:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12812982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexxriott/pseuds/alexxriott
Summary: SPOILERS & AU FOR 12TH GRAVE! Charley has lost the man that was her husband and a feral, smoldering darkness has taken his place. Breathtaking, vengeful, angry...how could she tame something - someone - so dangerous when she can't even get a handle on herself? An alternate universe of the 12th installment of the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. Charley must seduce the furious god that can't remember his short-lived humanity and help him regain his control...one step and one mocha latte at a time.





	Taming the Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Charley Davidson or any of the other characters within, nor do I earn any sort of profit for writing this piece. This is purely fan fiction based off the amazing world and stories by Darynda Jones. This story obviously contains mature content and scenes, as well as spoilers for The Trouble with Twelfth Grave so please read at your own risk.

"Elle-Ryn-Ahleethia." He called my name for the second time - the celestial one. The way it rolled off his tongue it was as if he was testing the feel of it out, unconvinced that it was really me before him. His warm hand remained firm against the curve of my jaw and his wrist pressed into my neck. I'd touched him and he had freaked, basically pinning me to the living room wall. I swallowed against the pressure, staring into those dark eyes of this...animalistic version of my husband. I fought the urge to squirm. There was way more contempt in his expression than I was comfortable with. Well, from him anyway. If it was anybody else, I could have rolled with it, but _Reyes_! Now from _him_ , it was just a touch more painful. But underneath that, I recognized the hint of lust within him - that shadowed his expression.

"Rey'azikeen," I choked out almost mockingly, as both my anxiety and the pressure of him against me increased. The confusion knitting his eyebrows together was kinda cute, despite all that distaste in his stare. It must have been the human-ness in me. Something poked at my memories - Kurr, a big baddie I'd sent into the same hell dimension I fought to get Reyes out of, had called him that. He had said that before Lucifer forged a son, that Reyes had been Rey'azikeen the god - a god with a distaste for humans.

My humanity wasn't exactly something new, but I guessed to this version of Reyes, it was. But why had he forgotten me? What had happened to him in the god glass? I had called him repeatedly by every name I could think of until my throat hurt, voice hoarse, and still, he hadn't returned. And now, one big ol' explosion later, here he was in all his glory: the dangerous, delectable man I had fallen in love with...but with a little splash more wild godliness and more than a bit of amnesia. His humanity had been wiped away; the slate was clean. Somebody had hit "restart" mid-game. My own heartbeat drummed in my ears. His lips were so close that I could nearly taste them. His free arm remained against the wall beside my, caging me between him and the wall. I could feel myself trembling and opened my mouth to speak, but the sound of my apartment door swinging open gave me pause.

"Aunt Charley?"

  
Alarm rose within me as a growl rumbled low in Rey'azikeen's chest. Judging by the sound of her voice, she was a little freaked. Had it been the loud boom? I wouldn't doubt it. That explosion had totally scared crap out of me. I hadn't expected that stupid 600 year old stone pendant to bring the souls trapped inside or my husband out in such a manner. Although, it seemed like the very essence of my husband had been the cause of the damage, if that made any sense. He could make one hell of an entrance.

  
We were torn from our stare down to look at the blue-eyed girl lingering in the doorway to my living room. Those pale eyes were wide as they viewed our stance, and the growl from her pseudo uncle (because let's face it, I am pretty much this chick's rockin' aunt, if I do say so myself) reached her ears, making them impossibly wider. Rey'azikeen's lip twitched upward in disdain, showing off his perfect pearly whites. I scrambled, pushing hard against the wall of muscle. He didn't budge. The tiniest of squeaks escaped my thirteen year old niece. She was used to her yummy, sweet Uncle Reyes smiling and winking at her and helping her gets into all kids of trouble, but his expression was scary even to me.

  
"Um," I tried to make words, but failed miserably. I tried again.

 

"Listen, kiddo, now's not a good time -"

  
"I-I'm sorry, am I interrupting? I'll just, uh -"

  
"Leave," he spat, much unlike Reyes ever had toward Amber. I pushed again, this time so hard that I felt my muscles spasm with the effort. Anger boiled in the pit of my belly as Amber recoiled, gobsmacked. The surprise was quickly replaced with a mixture of fear and hurt, as lightning crackled against his flesh, causing goosebumps to spread up my own. She stumbled backward, turned on her heel, and ran,  slamming the door behind her. The very sound left an ache in my heart.

  
"Reyes," I snapped, and I wanted so badly to reprimand him - but he closed the distance between us, and nearly crushed me to him as he allowed himself to take a breath. To breathe in my scent. This sudden change in him shook me.

 

"Reyes has left the building," he murmured against my neck, my nerves under delicate skin there electrified by the barest touch of his lips. And with that, he vanished in a swirl of smoke. I don't know how long I stayed there, my mouth hanging open and my anger replaced with something akin to heartache. Heartache - was that what I felt? I couldn't be sure, but I would be damned if it didn't still hurt. What did that mean? Was this my fault? What in the world had happened to the man I loved in that stupid hell dimension? I slid down the wall. I sat there numbly for a while, and stared blankly at the sofa from the floor. I didn't hear my door open and close again or the sound of my best friend, Cookie, stomping her way on over to me. It wasn't until she hovered directly above me, hands on her hips, that I blinked and glimpsed upward.

  
"Charley?"

  
"Hmm?" A distracted sound was all I could manage. I needed to process. I felt...off. Everything that had just happened was so... _wrong_. I shivered.

  
"Charley what happened? Amber was just crying hysterically and came rushing from over here. Something about Reyes. She doesn't want to talk to me and is locked in her room. I even threatened to take the door down. Did something happen? Are you hurt? What in the world are you doing on the _floor_?" Part of me loved it when she got all in a tizzy.

 

 _Amber_. I needed coffee something terrible. Oh, God. I jumped up, my energy somehow renewed for at least a couple moments. I met my best friend's curious eyes. She didn't look so much angry as she did worried and confused. I grimaced, wringing my hands and side stepped her. How could I explain this when I didn't quite understand myself? And poor Amber! That girl had been spurned by her most favorite-est uncle for what she thought was no reason at all! And in way too vicious of a manner for her hunky uncle, at that.

  
"Well, erm, coffee first." I motioned frantically to the coffee pot before dashing around her before she could catch me. She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes, and followed me to the kitchen as I brewed us a pot of liquid gold. Seriously, there could never be anything better than coffee. And then, I settled down into a chair, and chewed on my bottom lip as I regaled her with the best summary of recent events as I could manage.

  
Cookie Kowalski was an expressive, funny woman. And just so darn lovable - especially when her face looked the way it did as I finished. I couldn't help but snort into the last of my coffee.

  
"So what you're saying is...that maybe Reyes is some god now that he was before he became the son of Satan and he snapped at Amber and then just _poofed_ out of existence?"

  
"Right," I started again slowly as I thought, placing my (sadly) empty mug on the table. "Well, sorta. He didn't poof out of existence but to somewhere else. I'm not sure where...and I was trying to talk to him and make sure Amber didn't get hurt, but in a way, I wasn't really...able to. At least not in every way. She's probably pretty upset right now, but I'm glad she isn't _physically_ hurt. The way he reacted to me, and to her, I don't know what he might have done given the chance..."

  
I frowned, staring into the bottom of the cup. "He doesn't know who she is right now."

"Or me? Or...or _you_?"

  
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped inside my tummy. I hated the feeling as I got to hear the words come from Cookie's mouth. I clicked my tongue against my teeth before I fixed my attention back on my BFF's face. I inwardly cringed at the pity I saw there. I didn't need pity - I just had to figure all this crap out.

  
"Um, nope. I mean, he knows who I am, but he called my other name. From before I was human, so I guess not." I ducked my head back down.

  
"I'm so sorry, honey. I'll get you more coffee." Ah, only Cookie could butter me up and try to make me feel better with only one sentence. She refilled my cup and fixed it just how I liked it before she placed it back in front of me. I accepted it gratefully, and took a big sip. It burned my tongue but I couldn't bring myself to care. It was delicious.

  
"Tell Amber I'm so sorry, but maybe until I get this figured out, we should have her stay away? I don't want her to get hurt. I mean, more than her feelings, Cook."

 

"Yeah, I think you might be right," she mumbled back, and she played with her fingers nervously on the table top. "Do you...think he'll be back?"

  
"I don't know," I started, as the thought hadn't really occurred to me. "Maybe? But just to be safe. Reyes...um, Rey'azikeen, isn't exactly fond of humans."

  
Cookie bristled slightly, but said nothing and stood. She patted me gently on the shoulder. My great, big mother hen best friend and partner in crime. I loved her.

  
"If he comes back, I'll let you know what's up. I think...I want to take a nap."

  
Her blue eyes met my gold-hued ones, brimmed with concern. "Ya want me to stay while you rest?"

  
"Nah," I shook my head, gaze averted. Perhaps it was best if Cookie wasn't around either. "I, um, I'll shout if I need you. It's not like you aren't across the hall. You should go talk to Amber, I'd probably make it worse right now if I tried to explain to her."

  
"Okay."

  
Suddenly, even my cuppa joe wasn't too appetizing. I just wanted to curl up in my bed. Maybe with a certain hellish god's T-shirt as I tried to sort this all out in my head. I didn't hear Cookie leave, or realize it, for a few good minutes. She had most likely ditched me after I stared into space for too long in favor of comforting her only child. Not that I blamed her. I blinked owlishly and looked up as the clock on the wall chimed. I needed to sleep. Just for a little while. And then I'd deal with all of this.

  
For the first time maybe ever, I abandoned my coffee in favor of my bed. I didn't bother changing, just kicked off my pants, and curled up under the thick blanket in my shirt and underwear on Reyes's side. The day's events had drained me in more ways than one, and my head was starting to hurt. I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take me.

 


End file.
